I returned home from a short trip to discover a nice surprise in my inbox: the cover art for The Marriage Act. I love the expression on the heroine’s face. Is she nervous, excited, or merely wondering if she can turn the situation to her advantage? If you can’t tell, then you’re in the same boat as the hero.

And I have an official release date for The Marriage Act. It should be available on July 27.

I’m so excited–I just learned from my publisher that my first regency, Ruined by Rumor, is going to be available in print! The book will go on sale June 2nd as a trade paperback. If you know any regency romance fans who prefer traditional paperbacks to e-books, please spread the word. The more successful the format is, the more likely Carina Press will be to offer more regencies in print.

I’ll post a link to the paperback edition as soon as it goes up on Amazon.

Here’s a sneak peek at the cover of my upcoming regency romance, An Heir of Uncertainty. I think it captures the suspenseful, gothic feel of the romance.

An Heir of Uncertainty will be relased on March 10. You can pre-order the book here.

USA Today is featuring A Tryst With Trouble today in their Happily Ever After column! The column is even titled, “Consider a tryst with a new historical romance.”

It’s release day for A Tryst With Trouble!

London, 1820

Lady Barbara Jeffords is certain her little sister didn’t murder the footman, no matter how it looks…and no matter what the Marquess of Beningbrough–Ben–might say. She can scarcely help it if his cousin is the only other suspect. In fact, she wants nothing to do with ruggedly handsome Ben; he reminds her of all the insensitive clods who passed her over.

For years Ben has been dogged by painful gossip about his father’s rumored homosexuality. His gruff shell hides a passionate nature, and he’s also fiercely loyal—which is why he’ll never let the clever and beguiling Lady Barbara pin a murder on his cousin.

Sparks fly as the two compete to defend their loved ones. But as strange new clues emerge that neither can decipher alone, they have no choice but to compare notes and sleuth in tandem. A tenuous bond develops that soon faces its toughest challenge when Ben himself becomes a suspect…

A Tryst With Trouble received a 4-star review from Romantic Times Book Reviews, which called Ben and Barbara “a surprising couple who will entertain with their Nick and Nora-esque antics.”

A Tryst With Trouble is available as an e-book at Carina Press and all major e-book retailers. It’s also available as an audiobook narrated by Lizzie Owensby. To order or learn more, click here.

There’s a new review of LORD OF SECRETS up today. Kate of Reading Under the Willow Tree calls the story “a lovely romance…with real emotional impact and relatable characters.”

Click here to jump to the review.

There’s a bit of breaking news this morning about Dorchester Publishing, the now-defunct publishing house that holds the rights to my first regency, A Tryst With Trouble. Digital Book World is reporting that unless another bidder steps forward, Amazon will acquire Dorchester at auction in August.

The article–available here–reports, “In practice Amazon, or any firm that outbids Amazon in an auction to be conducted in August, will tender amendments to authors and agents transferring rights to the new entity, in exchange for which back royalties will be paid in full.” Since my book was never published, I’m not owed any back royalties, so I’m not sure whether I’ll be tendered a contract amendment or not. In other words, it’s not clear whether my book will automatically become Amazon’s, or (since my original deal with Dorchester was for both print and digital, but Amazon is strictly digital) whether I’ll have an opportunity to opt out, take my rights, and publish the book elsewhere. Even if Amazon does acquire the rights to A Tryst With Trouble, I don’t know when the book would be released, or if the cover art would look the same. But at least there’s some movement on the Dorchester front.

P.M. Update: Publisher’s Weekly has also reported on Amazon’s bid here, including a quote from an Amazon spokesperson:

Moving forward, Dorchester authors will, Amazon said, be offered the choice about how they want their titles published. An Amazon spokesperson explained: “We want all authors to be happy being a part of the Amazon Publishing family going forward and we have structured our bid so that we will only take on authors who want to join us. As part of this philosophy, if we win the bid, Dorchester has committed to revert all titles that are not assigned to us.”

I’ll continue to post more information as it becomes available. The auction isn’t until August 28, so whether the news is good or bad, a resolution is still months away.

On his review site today, the Historical Romance Critic calls Ruined by Rumor “one of the best historical romances I’ve ever read” and gives it 5+ out of 5 stars. (He even tagged the review “best-damn-book-ever.”) Every writer loves a favorable review, but what makes it particularly rewarding is that the Historical Romance Critic is “a dude.” It’s nice to know there are men out there reading the genre!

You can read the full review by clicking here.

Though my debut release has been postponed until the spring, I’ve received two pieces of good news about A TRYST WITH TROUBLE. First, it’s up on NetGalley for romance bloggers, librarians, and other book reviewers to preview.

Second, I got my first ever review!  Click here to read it.

I hope you get nothing but good news this Christmas (or whatever holidays you celebrate at this time of year).